Ameco Beijing, a joint venture of Air China and Lufthansa, held a grand foundation-laying ceremony of its new A380 hangar. Following a total investment of about 70 million Euros, the new hangar will be completed in March 2008 and put into use before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

With a clear span of 350.8 meters, a depth of 110 meters and a lower chord height of 30 meters, the A380 hangar will be the biggest aircraft line maintenance hangar in Asia and among the largest ones worldwide.

Ameco’s A380 hangar, offering a total floor area of 70,437 square meters, is located north of Beijing’s new Terminal 3 and represents a vital segment of Beijing Capital International Airport’s expansion program. The hangar will simultaneously provide six widebody and four narrowbody aircraft maintenance positions, and will be able to accommodate all types of Boeing and Airbus aircraft up to the size of the A380.

At the ceremony, Ma Xu Lun, President of Air China, said: “The total traffic volume of Chinese civil aviation industry ranks the second globally, which provide a great opportunity for Ameco to enhance its maintenance business. The construction of the A380 hangar marks a vital step of Ameco aiming at further improvement of quality and capacity. Now the number of Air China aircraft, which are maintained by Ameco, is over 100. This number will greatly increase after Air China completes building and enhancement of it Beijing and Chengdu hubs, and its branches in Shanghai and south of China.”

Wolfgang Mayrhuber, CEO of Lufthansa said that, “As a shareholder standing behind the development of Ameco, Lufthansa is willing to participate in the future of Ameco. Aviation has only started and that’s why it’s so important that Air China and Lufthansa are committed to support Ameco and I congratulate everybody who has contributed to this fast development which we can be proud of.”

“The A380 hangar will not only support the fast growing Air China fleet, but also provide convenient and quick maintenance services to the airlines which arrive at and depart from Terminal 3. The construction will put Ameco Beijing in a very advantageous position in the MRO competition with Beijing as hub,” said Chai Weixi and Dr. Hans Schmitz, General Managers of Ameco Beijing.

Furthermore, Ameco Beijing announced that it will construct a second building of the same size and shape in the next years, a project which has already been approved by the shareholders. Meanwhile, the construction of an overhaul and painting hangar that can accommodate one Boeing 747-400 aircraft, has already been started.